


Run These Streets

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Series: Dad!Jason AU [10]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-25 23:37:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4981177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He’s never ridden on Baba’s motorcycle before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Run These Streets

**Author's Note:**

> Based on/inspired by the chorus of Macklemore’s ‘Downtown.’ Damian’s six going on seven here, and the neighbor picked him up from school because she sometimes does that. Damian wears Dick’s motorcycle gear. Jason was too flustered about Damian riding the bike to remember his own. (He was mad at Dick mostly because A) he didn’t want to go to the gala and B) riding the bike would be dangerous for Damian and that’s a big ol’ nono.) Jason’s still annoyed at Dick during the gala, but they totally make out in the corner somewhere. Damian goes home in the car with Dick after the party, much to Damian’s displeasure. Dick sleeps on the sofa, but only because Damian’s decided they’re having a sleepover in a blanket fort. Ending sucks and I don’t care I wrote this in 90 or so minutes. And yes, before anyone complains, _I know that’s not how you ride motorcycles with child and that it’s all incredibly unsafe._ I got it. Promise.

Damian twisted the doorknob before turning and waving to Mrs. Estrada. The older woman waved back, waiting until Damian actually pushed the door open to head towards her own apartment.

And Damian was barely inside, barely had the door closed behind him before he heard a loud growl from the kitchen, and his Baba came stomping out.

“I hate him.” Jason was saying, glancing over towards Damian as he continued on his path, heading back towards the bedrooms. Damian noticed a cell phone in his hand. “I hate your Didi, baby. Don’t _ever_ let me convince you otherwise.”

“What happened?” Damian asked, dropping his backpack in the doorway, pattering after Jason. “Is he okay?”

“He’s downright _peachy_.” Jason snapped, disappearing into his bedroom. Damian ran after him, hopping up on the bed and flopping across it, careful not to have his shoes on the bedspread – Baba hated when he did that. “Because – _apparently_ – there’s a Wayne gala tonight. And _we’ve_ been invited.”

Damian perked. He _loved_ the Wayne galas. He got to see Auntie Babs and Mr. Pennywoth. And Tim always snuck him treats, even after Baba said no more.

“Except,” Jason continued. “Freaking Didi _forgot_ he has the car today, and he’s not coming home before this shindig happens. So how he expects the both of us to get there without _walking_ the thirty miles to the gallery, I have _no_ idea.”

“We could take a cab.” Damian tried, watching as Jason began digging through his closet, pulling out shirts and jackets and throwing them on the bed beside Damian.

“Too expensive, and I don’t get paid ‘til next week.” Jason droned. “And cab drivers don’t take well to I-O-Us.”

“We could ask Mrs. E.”

“Make her drive us all that way and then not be able to get her in?” Jason sighed. “Pass.”

“Well.” Damian tried to duck out of the way of a bright red dress shirt. It didn’t work, though, and the garment fluttered over his head. Gently, he pulled it away, peeking out from underneath a sleeve. “We could just not _go_.”

“And then I’d _never_ hear the end of it.” Baba countered. “Didi would be disappointed for days, the family would descend on the apartment to see _you_ …no. No, we _have_ to go.”

Damian hummed. “…Your bike, then.”

Baba froze. Seemed to ponder it. Then shook his head, turned back to the closet.

“No.”

Damian huffed, rolled onto his back, using the red shirt as a makeshift blanket. “Well, then I don’t know what you _want_ , Baba. I’m all out of su-gestions.”

“You know the rules, kiddo.” Baba tried, a little gentler now. “The motorcycle is for me and Didi. Not for Damian. You’re too little still, it wouldn’t be _safe_.”

“Well you just said you hated Didi and _never_ want to speak to him again.” Damian countered. And he didn’t see it, but he knew Baba was rolling his eyes. “So now who’s gonna ride it with you?”

“Damian…”

“Besides, we measured ourselves in Mr. Gumbar’s class yesterday?” Damian continued. “And I’m taller than Colin now. I’m not as tall as Rebecca yet, but no one really is, she’s really tall, so. I’m probably tall enough to ride your bike now. You don’t know that.”

“I’m pretty sure I do, baby.” Baba sounded amused, and Damian couldn’t help but frown, because he was _serious_. He heard Jason move around the bed, back towards the door. “Now come on, let’s go pick out some clothes for you.”

“What’s the point?” Damian flopped his legs down, lazily slithering off the bed. He knew he messed up the comforter, but he didn’t care. “We have no way to get there. Unless you have a better idea?”

“Enough.” Jason seemed to laugh again, turning into Damian’s room. “We’ll figure it out in a little bit. Now tell me – how was school today?”

~~

They were in the bathroom, Damian standing on his stepstool in his suit, watching in the mirror as Baba combed his hair back, worked to put the gel in it. He kept glancing up at Jason’s face, watching his face morph as he thought, silently.

And suddenly he sighed, loud and long-suffering, shoulders drooping as he dropped the comb on the counter, began running his fingers through Damian’s hair instead.

“What?” Damian bubbled. “Did you figure it out?”

“Your Didi’s a dead man.” Baba droned, reaching his arms around Damian’s shoulders, grabbing a towel to wipe his hands off.

“Why?”

Jason dropped the towel in the sink, reached up and fixed Damian’s bowtie, then wrapped his arms tightly around Damian’s shoulders, pressing their cheeks together as they both stared at the mirror.

“We’re gonna have to take the bike.”

Damian just grinned.

~~

He stood in the garage, in a big helmet and even bigger leather jacket, watching as Jason uncovered the motorcycle and pulled it out into the open.

“Rules,” Baba said, sounding stern and serious. Damian nodded, fixing bowl-helmet as if fell over his eyes. “You do _not_ take that helmet off, not until I _tell you_ you can. Same for the jacket. In fact, zip it up, all the way up, as far as it will go.”

Damian nodded, and tried, fumbling over the too-big sleeves.

“No squirming, no kicking, and no asking to _drive_ , young man.” Baba continued. “Got it?”

Damian nodded again, helmet falling over his brows once more. He stuck his tongue out, trying to focus on the zipper of coat. “Mhmmm.”

He heard Baba chuckle, and suddenly his father was crouching in front of him, taking the zipper and moving it upwards, then pushing the helmet back and tightening the strap.

“Now this is going to be very dangerous, okay? And probably a little illegal. So I’m going to need you to be very quiet while we drive, so I can concentrate on the road, alright?” Jason asked. Damian nodded for a third time, and, surprisingly, the helmet didn’t move. Baba smiled gently as he stood, and held his hand out for Damian to take. “Okay, then. Let’s get going.”

Baba led them over to the cycle, and let go of Damian’s hand to get on it. Once he was settled, he leaned back over, plucked Damian off the ground, and twisted him, plopping him snugly in front of him.

There was a small horizontal bar at the bottom of the front control panel, and after turning the key, after the motor pulsed to life, Baba leaned down, pointing to it. “Hang on to this, baby.”

So Damian did.

After flipping a few switches, Damian felt Baba shift closer, an arm around his waist.

“Ready, bud?” Baba asked over the roar of the engine. Damian just nodded, squeezing the bar, and leaning back into Baba’s chest. “Then let’s go.”

They took off, turning immediately as they exited the garage. Damian felt his stomach spin as they swerved, held his breath until they were level again. But it was a good feeling. Excitement.

He was on Baba’s _bike_.

They never went fast, and if he’d have asked, Jason would have told him they were going about thirty-five, taking alleyways and roads known for less traffic. But still, it was nice, the breeze, the view.

Damian had seen the city before, he lived in it, after all, had for most of his life, but never like this. Because he was either walking, where the buildings were big, imposing things, or in a car, where everything sped by too fast to really see.

This speed…it was comfortable. The buildings moved, but Damian could see them. Make each one out, almost get to know them as they passed. The buildings weren’t imposing now, more just like people, walking by. A crowd, parting for him and his Baba to get through.

The actual humans were the same. It was an early autumn evening, past golden hour, but there was still a little bit of sunlight to see by. It was a nice night, not too hot or cold, and there were couples out walking. Families eating on the decks of restaurants. Friends sitting on benches, lovers sharing one last summer ice cream. Dogs running happily with their owners.

They weren’t blurs, not like they were in cars. They were an idea, almost nostalgic already, even as the moment happened, of a summer night’s past. And with the light traffic, everyone watched them as the motorcycle sped by. Some people waved. Smiled when they caught Damian staring. And Damian would tense, lift one hand for a quick wave back.

Damian relished in the wind tickling his ears, blowing the strands of his hair loose from the helmet. He even enjoyed the smells and sounds of the world around them, ever-changing as they moved from block to block.

And it really didn’t take long to see why Baba loved his motorcycle so much.

The sun slowly dipped as they rode, and Damian watched in awe, as the windows above them lit up, the lights blinking on inside. Random patterns appearing on the building, and no two alike. They were like stars, constellations for a city too dirty to see the real ones.

Damian’s head was on a swivel, as he stared back and forth, tried to remember every building, every face, every detail. Because this moment was good, this moment was _special_.

Because this moment was just him and Baba.

There weren’t many stoplights between their apartment and the gallery, and they seemed lucky this night, as they only hit one. At the red light they stopped at, they could hear music. Laughter and singing from a restaurant nearby. Jazzy and soothing. Baba suddenly leaned down, squeezed Damian’s torso a little and ask, “You doing okay?”

And Damian smiled up at him and nodded. Jason returned the grin, and smacked his lips against Damian’s cheek for a wet kiss, muttering a quick, “We’re almost there,” before lifting his feet from the ground, and taking off again.

Damian watched him then, tilted his head back and stared up at Baba’s chin, as he focused on the road. He wasn’t wearing a helmet, or any sort of coat. Just his tuxedo for the gala. But he seemed content, now. Less tense than when they started. A little smile on his lips as he looked around at the people too, at the buildings and street signs and traffic. The wind was blowing his hair as well, the streetlamps bringing out the white streaks in his bangs, the green of his eyes.

He looked handsome, and kind of cool. Like that spy on the movies Didi liked to watch. James Bond.

Damian let himself have his own little smile as he turned back around, slumping gently against Baba’s chest, tilting his head lazily back to watch the city sneak by. It was comfortable here, in Baba’s arms, riding slowly down the street. _Warm_. He closed his eyes, that grin still on his face. He could fall asleep here, happily enough, if he really wanted to.

And apparently – he _might’ve_.

Because the next thing he knew, they were slowing down, and Baba was saying in his ear. “We’re here, baby.”

Damian blinked his eyes open, sitting up straight and looking around. He could see bright lights up ahead, on the right. Signs proclaiming an event, and a man standing outside, looking around expectantly. Damian felt Baba start to chuckle, as the man turned and his eyes widened in surprised.

Didi watched in silence as they pulled up next to him, and Damian waved as they stopped, as Baba stuck his foot out against the curb.

“Hi, Didi.”

“Hi…baby…” Dick muttered, glancing up at Jason. And Jason just grinned shrugged, kept his arm firmly around Damian’s waist still.

“You took the car.” He said simply. “We didn’t have another choice.”

“I’m pretty sure you had like, a _thousand_ other choices.” Dick muttered in annoyance, reaching out and plucking Damian from the bike, tucking him gently against his hip, kissing his nose. “And I said I was sorry. It was late notice.”

“You could have just said no.” Jason tried, waiting for the valet to run over, before dismounting the bike himself. He reached out, unbuckling the helmet and pulling it from Damian’s head, running his fingers through his hair once more to fix any strands out of place. “You could have just said _hey send us a real invitation next time so we’re prepared._ ”

“You know as well as I do, Jay, that you never say _no_ or _maybe next time_ to Alfred.” Didi laughed, winding his arm around Baba’s waist as he handed the helmet to the valet as well. He pulled him tight to his side, opposite of where Damian was perched, and kissed his cheek. “You look very _handsome_ , by the way.”

“We’re just lucky it doesn’t take long to make me and baby look even _better_ than we normally do.” Jason snorted, reaching out to unzip Damian’s jacket as they started towards the door. “But keep that up, gorgeous. You’ve still got some sucking up to do to get yourself off the sofa for the night.”

Dick just rolled his eyes, turned to Damian, even as the child slapped scoldingly at Jason’s shoulder. “I think your Baba just enjoys being dramatic, don’t you?”

Damian just nodded while Baba laughed, wrapping his arms around Didi’s shoulders as he looked back to the street, and watched the window-stars twinkle in the darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> [Other things for Nevolition’s Dad!Jason AU](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/tagged/dad%21jason+au)   
> 


End file.
